Author Archive: Gareth

iPhone 3G S outsells iPhone 3G on launch day, according to O2

O2 are claiming that the iPhone 3G S is outselling the iPhone 3G on launch day which we find a little hard to believe due to the high price and lack of a decent upgrade option from O2 for current iPhone 3G subscribers. The lines and interest do not seem to match the frenzy that we saw last year but that could be down to more stock being available or a lot more buyers deciding to do their business online this year, who knows, but the Carphone Warehouse are totally out of stock online.

The full press release from O2 is after the break giving all the spin facts.

Stephen Fry reviews the iPhone 3G S

Stephen Fry has penned a very interesting review of the iPhone 3G S Stephen is very much a smartphone fan and he sums up the iPhone 3G S as the M Series BMW of smartphones:-

In short, the iPhone 3GS is triumphantly the product of a company at the absolute top of their game. If it were a BMW it would badged as the ‘M’ version – the same but with added poke and better spec. Power and performance can be considered a luxury until you try them and realise how much more functionality, ease of use and productivity they can deliver. Cost is a whole other issue: if you already have an iPhone 3G you may find an upgrade expensive. Could be worth waiting to see what deals emerge over the next month or so. The more people who do wait, the more pressure there will be on O2 to lower prices.

You can read the full review at Stephen Fry’s blog

iPhone 3GS my story and first impressions

Yes I know I said I wasn’t going to get one after the debacle of O2 upgrades and the high pricing, but look I am a geek ok, it knawed away at me day and night until I could resist no more. I ebayed my iPhone 3G and posted it off with a tearful fairwell yesterday morning.

I put the SIM card in a Windows Mobile device and have used it for the last 24 hours, it was hard work, believe me.

Carphone Warehouse told me on Thursday that they would be selling the iPhone 3GS on Pay as you go, ie no contract commitment from 9.02am on Friday morning so that was my plan.

This morning I set off for the Carphone Warehouse Kingston Park near Newcastle and arrived at 8.32am and there was no one standing in line, last year I was there at 6.30am and was no4 so all was looking good. At 9.00am they opened the doors and Emma informed me that Carphone Warehouse would not be offering a Pay as you go iPhone 3GS for a few weeks. I was sick, and boy did she know it :), I hot footed it down to Team Valley O2 store and found a huge queue, mission aborted.

Mapee Lite (for iPhone OS 3.0 with Maps) released

Ability to embed Google Maps within apps is new to iPhone OS 3.0 so this app is one of the first in the app store that are especially designed for iPhone OS 3.0 -upgraded devices and for iPhone 3GS!

Here is how this app looks like:

HTC Touch Pro2 hits Orange and Vodafone Business shops

The latest hot device from HTC, the Touch Pro2 which we recently reviewed is starting to pop up in the business section of Orange and Vodafone sites. Normally it doesn’t take too long before it appears in the consumer side of things

You can fine all the information below for both networks.

Orange Business

Vodafone Business

O2 announces plans for iPhone 3G S launch

O2 today announced that Apple’s new iPhone OS 3.0 software is now available through iTunes. This new software is free to all existing iPhone customers, offering over 100 new features. For iPhone 3G customers this includes the much anticipated MMS and also internet tethering (using your iPhone as a modem – available from 19 June).

Apple’s new iPhone 3G S handset will go on general sale from 8.02am on Friday 19 June in O2, Apple and Carphone Warehouse retail stores*.

The iPhone 3G S will be available from free on a variety of 18 and 24 month Pay Monthly tariffs with unlimited UK web browsing** on the O2 network and Wi-Fi. It will also be available on Pay & Go with unlimited UK web browsing and Wi-Fi for the first 12 months, allowing customers to take advantage of the latest iPhone device.

2G iPhone customer can still take advantage of the iPhone OS 3.0 software updated, however some features like MMS and Internet Tethering are not available.

“The iPhone continues to be a phenomenal device with over a million O2 customers owning one. The combination of the new software update available to all and the new range of iPhone 3G S devices allows us to continue to differentiate O2 in the marketplace.” said Ronan Dunne, CEO of O2 in the UK. “

iPhone MMS – review

If you update your iPhone 3G to iPhone OS 3.0 or if you have iPhone 3GS then you have new feature: MMS aka "Multimedia Messaging Service". What’s that?

iPhone OS 3.0 update released globally!

Instead of releasing it at the same local time at various time zones, Apple has released it 9AM Cupertino time – globally.

Here is the list of new features – as provided by Apple in the upgrade information box:

Dev Team Demos UltraSn0w – iPhone 3G Unlock

As announced yesterday, Dev Team member MuscleNerd did a demo of UltraSn0w, the new software unlock for the iPhone 3G (skip to 2.20 min on the video after the break). Unlike its predecessor YellowSn0w, UltraSn0w will unlock your iPhone 3G no matter what firmware, bootloader or baseband you have, as long as you have the new 3.0 firmware installed.

The actual program that UltraSn0w injects into the baseband to accomplish the unlock is the exact same one the Dev Team developed for YellowSn0w. What changed is that the Dev Team found a new “hole” to inject the unlocking payload.

iPhone 3G S caught on video

A couple of videos have been posted of the new iPhone 3G S. Not much longer to wait till Friday but if you really need to see how the phone performs with the increased RAM and Processor power or the finger print proof finish on the screen check out the two videos after the break.